Chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus with clinical evidence of adjacent organ invasion

Background The role of surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with clinical evidence of adjacent organ invasion (cT4) is a debated issue. This study was aimed at analyzing our experience with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by surgery as treatment for non-metastatic cT4 SCC of the thoracic esophagus. Methods The results of 51 patients consecutively treated at the First Department of General Surgery, University of Verona, from January 1987 to December 2004 were analyzed. Results The most frequently clinically involved structures were the trachea (43.1%), the main left bronchus (17.6%), and the thoracic aorta (15.7%). CRT was completed in all but one of the patients (98.0%) without toxicity-related deaths. After completion of induction treatment 49 patients underwent surgery (96.1%), and resection was possible in 40 patients (78.4%) but R0 surgery was rarely obtained (39.2%). Pathologic downstaging was achieved in 18 cases (35.3%) while a major response (responders) was observed in 10 patients (19.6%) and a complete response (pT0N0) in 7 (13.7%). The overall median survival time was 11.1 months with a 3-year survival rate of 8.8%. A significantly better survival (P